NASA’s Ethics Program

[NASA]

NASA’s Ethics Program provides training and counsel to NASA employees and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the agency-wide ethics program. Headquarters and Center Chief Counsels ethics officials support the ethics program in their respective localities.

A list of ethics officials at each NASA location can be found here: Headquarters and Center Ethics Officials.

Associate General Counsel, General Law Practice Group:
Katie Spear

Agency Counsel for Ethics:
Adam Greenstone

Current Employees

NASA employees have a responsibility to the United States Government and its citizens to place loyalty to the Constitution, laws, and ethics principles above private gain. As NASA employees, we need you to preserve NASA’s core value of integrity through your commitment to ethics and ethical decision-making. If you are faced with a question concerning your ethics obligations as a NASA employee, please contact a NASA ethics official before taking action.

Contact Information

What are your obligations? Know the rules. If you have questions, please ask an ethics official at your respective center.

• Headquarter and Center Ethics Officials

Financial Disclosure

As a NASA employee, you may be required to disclose your financial interests for one of two reasons: 1) You are in a position requiring by law that you file a Public Financial Disclosure (OGE Form 278)(PDF) report.  This includes members of the Senior Executive Service (SES); SL or ST employees; holding another position classified above the GS-15 level; holding a “NASA excepted” position above a certain pay level; and Schedule C appointees.  2) Your duties are such that they raise an increased likelihood of a conflict of interest, for which you would file an (OGE Form 450)(PDF) report. If you are in a position subject to Public Financial Disclosure (or acting in one for more than 60 days), then you are subject to the Public Financial Disclosure report in which your report will be publicly available. If you are a General Schedule or other employee required to file OGE Form 450, your financial disclosure requirements will be less complex, and report will be confidential. For specific questions, please contact an ethics official.

Widely Attended Gatherings Determinations

Please click here to access the latest Widely Attended Gatherings Determinations.  If you do not see a determination for the event in which you were invited to attend in your official capacity, please request guidance from your local ethics official.

• Widely Attended Gatherings (WAGs) Determinations

Outside Activities

NASA employees are subject to regulations regarding outside employment. They are prohibited from engaging in outside activities that conflict with their official duties.  In addition, the NASA Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for NASA Employees, 5 C.F.R. Part 6901, require prior approval for engaging in certain types of outside employment. In these instances, employees should request approval from their local ethics official prior to accepting such outside employment.

Note that the NASA Supplemental rules also prohibit NASA employees from engaging in outside employment with a NASA contractor, subcontractor, or grantee in connection with work performed by that entity for NASA; or a party to a Space Act Agreement, Commercial Launch Act agreement, or other agreement to which NASA is a party pursuant to specific statutory authority, if the employment is in connection with work performed under that agreement. 

Employees in a leave status are subject to the same legal parameters. 

Please reach out to your local ethics official for guidance.

Resources

• 14 General Principles, Office of Government Ethics
• Criminal Conflicts of Interest, Summary for Executive Brand Employees
• Introduction to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, Summary for Executive Branch Employees
• Standards of Ethics Conduct for Executive Branch Employees
• Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Hatch Act, Office of Special Counsel

Prospective Employees

We look forward to welcoming you to NASA! You are joining an organization that works to change the history of humanity and usher in a bold new era or discovery.  We are depending on you to maintain the public trust and to preserve NASA’s ethical culture. Accordingly, NASA employees must comply with ethical standards that relate to outside employment, political activities, and business relationships, among other topics. NASA encourages prospective employees to learn more about these ethical standards along the path of joining our team. If ethics questions arise before or after you join NASA, please contact a NASA ethics official before taking action. What are your obligations? Know the rules. If you have questions, please ask an ethics official at your respective location.

• Headquarter and Center Ethics Officials

Financial Disclosure

As a NASA employee, you may be required to disclose your financial interests for one of two reasons: 1) You are in a position requiring by law that you file a Public Financial Disclosure (OGE Form 278)(PDF) report.  This includes members of the Senior Executive Service (SES); SL or ST employees; holding another position classified above the GS-15 level; holding a “NASA excepted” position above a certain pay level; and Schedule C appointees.  2) Your duties are such that they raise an increased likelihood of a conflict of interest, for which you would file an (OGE Form 450)(PDF) report. If you are in a position subject to Public Financial Disclosure (or acting in one for more than 60 days), then you are subject to the Public Financial Disclosure report in which your report will be publicly available. If you are a General Schedule or other employee required to file OGE Form 450, your financial disclosure requirements will be less complex, and your report will be confidential. For specific questions, please contact an ethics official.

Resources

• 14 General Principles, Office of Government Ethics
• Criminal Conflicts of Interest, Summary for Executive Brand Employees
• Introduction to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, Summary for Executive Branch Employees
• Standards of Ethics Conduct for Executive Branch Employees
• Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Hatch Act, Office of Special Counsel

Former Employees

The post-government employment ethics statute, 18 U.S.C. § 207, applies to a former NASA employee’s communication with NASA or the Government on behalf of the former employee’s non-federal employer. Former NASA employees should contact a NASA ethics official for advice before communications or otherwise interacting with NASA or the Government on behalf of their new employer because this criminal statute may be implicated.  The Procurement Integrity Act also restricts individuals who were in certain contracting roles from accepting compensated work from certain contractors for a limited period. 

Contact Information

If you have questions, please ask an ethics official at your respective center.

• Headquarters and Center Ethics Officials

Special Government Employees

A Special Government Employee (SGE) is an officer or employee “who is retained, designated, appointed, or employed to perform, with or without compensation, for not to exceed one hundred and thirty days during any consecutive period of three hundred and sixty-five consecutive days.” 18 U.S.C. § 202. Congress created the SGE category in 1962 to allow the federal Government to obtain the expertise it needs, while allowing experts to continue their private professional lives. As a result, some of the ethics statutes and regulations apply differently to SGEs than they do to regular executive branch employees, and some provisions do not apply at all.

Financial Disclosure

SGEs are required to file a financial disclosure report each year, usually a confidential financial disclosure report (OGE-450). Financial disclosure reporting helps NASA identify any possible financial conflicts of interest. SGEs are notified in advance of when to file.

• Sample Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, Office of Government Ethics
• Confidential Financial Disclosure Guide, Office of Government Ethics
• Video on how to Complete a New Entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report
• Video on how to Complete an Annual Financial Disclosure Report

Ethics Training

SGEs are required to receive annual ethics training by December 31^st of each calendar year.

Contact Information

If you are a SGE and have questions, please contact the Headquarters Ethics Team by e-mail at hq-ethicsteam@nasa.gov or by phone at (202) 358-0550.

Resources

• 14 General Principles, Office of Government Ethics
• Criminal Conflicts of Interest, Summary for Executive Brand Employees
• Introduction to the Standards of Ethical Conduct, Summary for Executive Branch Employees
• Standards of Ethics Conduct for Executive Branch Employees
• Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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Contact

Office of the General Counsel
NASA Headquarters
300 E Street SW Suite 9V30
Washington, DC 20546
Phone Number (202) 358-2450

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